EAST LANSING - Andrew Maxwell is as well prepared to take over the reins of the Spartan offense as a first-year starter could be.

The former Midland star knows the playbook inside and out. He has the complete confidence of the Michigan State coaching staff. He also has the respect of his teammates. Those qualities help Maxwell make a successful transition from his role as two-year back-up to the starting lineup.

"He came here as a highly recruited young man, and from day one when he came in here he impressed," said Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio. "So it wasn't the type of thing where we had to sort of sit there and say well, hopefully he gets good enough. He's come here with an idea that he can be the guy, and this is his time. It's going to be very exciting to watch him."

Maxwell has a great deal of admiration for his predecessor, Kirk Cousins, but the former Elite Eleven quarterback is not trying be Cousins.

"I just think I need to be myself," said Maxwell. "If I try to be Kirk's replacement I am not being myself and I am not being a guy that people know in the locker room going on four years now. From the day that I have walked on campus I have tried to build a relationship with guys and establish myself as a leader. If I try and be somebody I haven't been, it is not going to translate well in the locker room. If I just be myself and continue the relationships and bridges I have built with my teammates, I think that will be effective."